Paddle-type reciprocating trough feeders



March 19, 1957 N. coRDis 2,785,792

PADDLE-TYPE RECIPROCATING TROUGH FEEDERS Filed om. 195s s sheets-sheet 1 w .mi

illllll! LII. ,lllllllillllllllllllll March 19, 1957 N. CORDIS l2,785,792

Panam-TYPE: RECIPROCATING TRouGH FEEDERS Filed OG t. 2,. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /IVVE/VTOR Naf Gord/'s N. CORDIS PADDLE-TYPE EECIPROCAIING THOUGH FEEDERS March 19, 1957 3 shehets-sneei s Filed Oct. 2, 1953 l I I I I I I I I I 1 m F ig. Ilv

F ig, 13 /Nvf/vron Naf Gords msmw mmfyfzf United States Patent y 2,785,792 Patented Ylidar. 19, 1957 ice.

PADDLE-TYPE RECERGCATNG TROUGH FEEDERS Nat Cordis, Silver Lake, Wis., assigner of one-half to Gerald L. Kitson, Rockford, Mich.

Applicahon October 2, 1953, Serial No. 333,889

S Ciairns. (Cl. 198-224) This invention relates to conveyors for pulverant materials and more particularly to a feeding device for distributing such materials along a trough accessible to stock and poultry. Still more specifically the invention is an improvement in a method and means for automatically distributing feed in trough-type animal feeders.

The problem of controlled feeding of live stock such as poultry, on a large scale necessarily involves much manual attention. it is therefore a primary object of my invention to provide a feeder of large capacity in which the supply can be maintained with a minimum of manual attention. Another object is to provide a method and an automatic means for uniformly distributing an adequate supply of fresh feed within a flock feeder. Still another object lis to provide an apparatus which maintains a fresh supply of feedin a trough and avoids clogging with stale feed. A further important object of my invention is to provide' a means for automatically controlling the starting of the feed distributing apparatus at selected intervals and for stopping the distributing system when feed has been advanced uniformly throughout the trough system. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description of my invention proceeds.

Briefly l attain the objects of my invention by providing a trough having a portion thereof in communication with a hopper. A plurality -of spaced pusher paddles are pivotally carried by an operating bar which is oscillated longitudinally within the trough adjacent the bottom thereof.V The operating bar or rod is provided with hangers for pivotally supporting the paddles above their centers of gravity so that the paddles may assume a generally vertical position with their backs to the opstanding hangers or support members during the pushing or feeding stroke. On the return stroke the paddles swing away from the hangers and ride over the advanced feed in the trough. Feed is discharged from the hopper into the trough at a controllable rate and withdrawal from the hopper is regulated by the rnotion of the reciprocating bar and its paddles to be suiicient to introduce a quantity in each pass equivalent to that normally conlined between the paddles in the trough.

Further details of my invention will be described by "reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a schematic elevation, partly section and showing the general assembly of parts;V

Figure Y2` is a section taken along the line 2-2 in Figure l showing details of the distributor paddle paddle support in one modification;

Figure 3 is a side view of the paddle along line 3 3 in Figure 2 with the trough walls removed;

Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate other embodiments of the trough, paddle, paddle support, and operating rod;

Figure 7 is a side view of the modification in Figure 6;

Figure S Vincludes a number of shapes of cross sections which theroperating rod or arm may take.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a straight line, feedv return system;

Figure 10 is a section ltaken along the line 10-10 in Figure 9;

Figure ll is a section taken along the line 11--11 in Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a side view of Figure 1l;

Figure 13 is a section of another embodiment having a paddle mount similar to that illustrated in Figure 2; and

Figure 14 is a section along 1i-14 in Figure l.

Referring to Figure l of the drawings, a pulverant material such as poultry feed is supplied from hopper 10 through a discharge port 11. A sliding gate 12 is held by a suitable means such as locking bolt 13, at the level to permit the desired rate of ow from the hopper 10 through the port 11 into the trough 14. The conveyor assembly, including the operating arm 15, the upstanding paddle support members 16 and the swingable paddles 17, is caused to move in a push-pull fashion within the trough 14 by a reciprocating power unit. One end of the operating bar 15 is connected to the power unit by means of a yoke 18 and a pitman link 19 with a crank pin 20 on the revolving drive plate 21 arranged to be rotated by a prime mover such as electric motor 22 which is supplied with electrical current through leads 23 and 24.

Details of the paddle supports or hangers 16 and the paddles 17 are shown in Figures 2 and 3. The operating bar 15 is shown as resting on the iloor of a trough 14 having sidewalls 14a and top anges lab. However, the rod 15 may be disposed within a rod-conforming channel 35 (Figure 5) or supported on a riser, either formed integral with the trough or supported on the at bottom of the trough; The riser itself may have a rod-guiding channel.

Welded, or otherwise hired to the upper face of the operating bar 15 is a generally `vshaped support formed of heavy wire. it has the form shown in Figures 2 and 3 to provide a paddle-supporting ledge 16a and a paddleretaining hook or stop 16h. Openings 17b, above the center of gravity of the paddle 17 receive the hooks 1Gb so that the paddle rests onthe' two lateral ledges 16a. A central cut-out 17a permits the paddle 17 to straddle the operating bar 15 so that the bottom edge of the paddle 17 Iis near the trough bed on the feed-advancing stroke.

ln a typical installation, the trough 14 may be about 3.25 inches wide, 2.75 inches deep with two franges 0.375 inch wide. T he paddle 17 may be about 2.75 inches wide, and from about 2.25 to 1.75 inches high. The height of the paddle hanger and the location of the openings 17b will determine the depth of feed permitted to accumulate below the paddles on the bottom of the trough. If desired, two sets of holes 17]) can be provided forhanging the paddles, either deep or shallow, within the trough on the hangers. @ne such arrangement is illustrated in Figure 41but the two sets of 1711 can of course be applied to the paddles shown in Figures 2 and 5. Also the paddles can be supplied with a scored bottom portion to permit the easy shortening of the paddle to iit the particular needs of the operator.

When the port 11 is open as shown and the operating rod 15 of the conveyor assembly is reciprocated by. the oscillating power unit, the paddles 17 first `assume the vertical position ofFigure l. In this position the paddles push feed away from the hopper 1t? along the trough 14 to advance the feed an increment of the total length of the trough, for example an increment of about 5 to lt) inches. This corresponds to the spacing of the hangers 16 and paddles 17 along the operating rod 15.

The direction of motion of the operating rod 15 is cyclically reversed by the oscillating or reciprocating power unit including in the illustrated embodiment: the motor 22, the drive plate 21, the crank pin 2t), and the link 19,

terminating with the yoke 18. Upon the return or .pull stroke ofthe arm 15, the paddles 17 lift up as in Figure 3 'zweedse andi-ide over thefeed advanced within the trough 14 by Ythe previousY push or delivery stroke ofthe operating larm 15.

Thiscycleis repeatedatamateoffrom 30 to SOfstrokes Vva minute with feed being supplied to the inlet` ebd of vto .oseillate withinthe trough 114 (and along the bottom 'of the hopper 10.), bringing feed'from the hopper into theirough 14 and advancingfeed frornthe inlet end to the terminal end. Y'Finally .theffeed advancedrfbythe paddles reaches and piles up lagainst the hinged"switch-actuating end plate 25. Y

Y The weight of the hinged plate Y at the end of trough 14 is'suiiicient to yhang vertically but when feed is pushed against it by the paddles .177' of the conveyor assembly, the plate swings toward the end ofthe trough V14 and depresses .switch 26. This switch may suitably'be of Y the spring-loaded -rnicro type and is Ain the lead l24V to motor 22 or operates an independent on-olf switch (not shown) which controls the actual power to the motor. Opening ofv the switch, in any event, cuts off the power thereby automatically'stopping the motor 2.2 and hence the push-pull of the operating arm 15. A timer 29 controls the power source Vto the motor 22 to run the motor at Vselected times forselected periods. However, the

y VVis filled to desired .extentthe operatingarml lcontinues switch 26 over-rides the timer as Ydescribed above during i the feeding period and stops the conveyor assembly when the trough 14 becomes full.V lf it` is desired to by-pass Ythe switch 25 for any reason, it is merely necessary to swing the plate 25 upwardly Vabout its'hinge 25a and out `'pass over the previously advanced feed in channel 14h@ Onthe Vnext stroke, the paddles 46a pass over the advancedV of the pathrof the feed.V YThis' may'be done for example Y when itgis ldesired to remove Yall feed from the troughV 14, by 'opening the sliding trap door 31 to' bring the ports 32 in the trough into register with the port 33 in the VVVdoor 31 and by closing the port 11.

lt may beV desired to have several trough units inseries,

fed from` a Ysingle hopper. In lthat event the port 32 is ex posed and the feed advanced in the trough is discharged throughV the port 3LY onto the inlet endof another troughV unit'sirnilar to trough 14 describedv above. The'switch plate 25 on the rst unit trough is lifted to by-pass the switch Zebut a corresponding platefand switch onthe inal trough section in the series would control the reeiprocating power unit. p Y

The operating bar is placed within the trough 14'Vand outrof the way of the feeding poultry. Since it is in the .trough it'rides on or is submergedin the advancing feed :making for silent operation and avoiding any interference with the poultry. ri`he paddles swing silently and are ,leither pushing feed orare slipping quietly overthe ad-` 'vanced' feed. Y

Referring to the operating Lbar 15, it may have various forms, for example such'as half-round,rectangular, round,

and triangular crossfsection .as illustrated in Figure 8.

Y 'On the'rpor'ton of the arm 15 running within .thehopper` .ltl'are apluralityof agitat'rn''fingers` 42 which prevent bridging of the feed.VV lf Vdesired a'hanger andipaddle' unit may be Varranged withinfthe Vhopper as' illustrated Vin Figurefi to urge-the feedtherefrom as the supply getsV Y, low. The free -eud'of the arm 15 extends through a Y side edges.

l 4 t Y longitudinal channel 35. In this arrangement the paddle 36 has a straight'bott'orn: edge and outwardly daring It is contemplated, however, that any one of the shapes of operating bars 15 Vmay be used with paddles and troughs in various combinations.l 'When theVr paddle edges and side Walls'of the trough are not substantially parallel, sucht-'as in vFigure 4, a larger volume of feed can tbe accumulatedor distributed'along'thesides of the trou'ghfthan is the case of the modification in Figures l, 2 and 3. .Also the bottom edge of the paddle can be spaced a substantial` distance,.from bottom as shown in Figure 6. Y

With reference `to Figures V6 andj7, 4i have there illustrateda hinge-type hanger for supporting the 4paddles -the trough including Va single -upright VYsupport "38 with a cross arm pivot 39 adaptedto be encircled by the rolled upper edge of the paddle 37, but other hinge Ysupports may be used. in Figure'4 a Y-shaped hanger 40 supportsthe Ypaddle 43 on 'the operating arm y15 Y(the half-round of Figure 8') within a Ytrough 14 as shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Figures 9V and 10,'the trough 14, is proi 5 Vvided with the rod 15 which is moved longitudinally within the trough as described 4above in connection with Figure '1. However two arrays of paddlesron the rod 15 cause the flow of feed in two directions within the single trough.V The Ypaddles 46 are supported by in-Y verted L-shaped brackets 45 asshown in Figure 11, one

group of 'paddles being on one side of the rod 15 and another group on the other side; The spacing between paddles 46a or 4611 in the two arrays is uniformV and lessV than the length of the stroke of the rod 15, one additional paddle 46c being provided near the discharge edge of the ramp 47. In this way,rone pass of the rod 15 longitudinally Within channel 14a of the trough 14 will cause paddles 46a to'push feed along the trough toward the closed end 28 of theV trough 14, while the paddles 4Gb feed and the paddles 4Gb pu'shrfed froi'n'the closed end Ytoward the hopper end of the trough. This cycle operation results in feed Vbeing conveyed along the Vinlet' chan-A Ynel 14a of the'ltrough 14, over the ramp 49 into the returnchannel 14]), and along the channel 14h back to the hopper means.

- Figures 11 and 12'show details of thetrough 14, the Y 4rod 15, the paddle 46, and the bracket 45. The paddle 46 `has a longitudinal edgeY portion which abuts'therup- Y 'right support 45 in the feed-advancing stroke. In Figure l3V the paddle 47 is generally similar to paddle 17 of Figure A 2 and the wire' bracket 50V is patterned after Vthat of Figures 2 andy 5 but is modified to suspend Vthe paddle 49 in only onerchannel. ku. f v .1

The trough 14 may be dividedfinto the channels 14d Y and 14b by a separateV longitudinal baffle (not shown) over the rod 15V but in most instances the rod itself iis Ysuihcient toreffect the partitioning of thetrough.V It is also contemplated that the oppositely hung paddles'` may slot in theend wall'ZS of the trough.14-,^the slot serving i as an end Vguide Yfor the reciprocating Yrod 15. AltenV v `natively a sleeve (notfshown) .may be x'edto the Vbedor the trough near'the terminal end tofreceive'th'ere- Y,

Othery hold-'downs can of ciprocating `end ofthe arm.

Vcoursebe devised by thoserskilled in the'art' n-Figure 5, fi have illustratedV another typeof trough .34.:wherein the operating arm 15,' is carried "within-a Vbe arranged in pairs on opposite Vsides of the rod.Y For example, the support may be T-shaped as shown in Y Y Figure16, but with` two paddles such asshown'in Figure l1 hung'on opposite sides of thel arms ofY thesupport andV 1 swingable inthe mannerof paddles 45a and 45h.'

In Figure 14,-l haveY sh'ownftheV construction ofV the,v Y ilowgcontr'ol from'theV hopper 10;" The adjustable door 12V is provided with av notch" 12a to accommodate the Vrod 15 and theY dischargef'port i11 can beV controlled WhenY the trough 14 is lled withfee'd tothe thereby. point that no further feed isrrdischarged by gravityfrom the port 11, the'rodfcan be stopped. This can be done automatically by providing. a switch 26 in the sidewall or floor of the channel 1'4b;near the hopper end of the trough 14. A suitable hinged or springloaded plate can be depressed when the proper depth of feed has accumu. Y'

lated. Y

YThe .operating arm 15 is Yrigid and may suitably be made of iron, other metal, wood, -or other material. It may be solid in cross section or tubular. The troughs 14 'are of sheet metal, such as galvanized iron, aluminum, or copper, etc. The paddle supports are of heavy or stii wire, rod stock, or the like. The paddles are of light plate stock, being relatively thin and light so as to ride over the advanced increment of feed as described. Other materials will be apparent to those skilled in the art after having the benefit of the description of my invention. Likewise other modifications of apparatus components and equivalent elements thereof can be substituted for the illustrated examples without departing from the spirit of my invention.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending lapplication Serial No. 370,736 iiled July 28, 1953 for Reciprocating Paddle-type Trough Feeder.

What I claim is:

l. A stock feeder comprising a pair of contiguous parallel channels providing a trough means, a first arr-ay of suspended paddles in the first of said channels, a second f array of suspended paddles in the second of said channels, the paddles in said arrays being swingable oppositely, and means within said trough means for reciprocating said arrays in unison, whereby upon movement in one direction the paddles in the first `array advance feed within the first channel while the paddles in the second array swing rearwardly to pass over previously advanced feed in the second channel and whereby upon movement in the other direction causes the second array to advance feed in the second channel while the paddles in the first array swing rearwardly to pass over previously advanced feed in the rst channel.

2. The system of claim l wherein said paddles are suspended with their bottom edges close to but spaced from the bed of said trough.

3. A stock feeder comprising a feed-supply hopper having a discharge outlet, conduit means communicating with said outlet, said conduit mean-s comprising an open-topped horizontal trough affording access by stock to feed contained therein, a rigid means within said trough dividing said trough into two channels, a first array of feed-advancing paddles extending into one of sai-d channels, a second array of feed-advancing paddles extending into the other of said channels, the paddles of said rst and second arrays being swingable in opposite directions so that reciproca tion of said rigid means land said arrays in said trough causes the feed to travel in series through said first and second channels.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the said paddles are suspended on V-shaped wire supports fixed to said operating bar Land said paddles each comprises generally rectangular plates substantially less than the width of the trough and with a major portion above said operating bar at all times, said paddles having spaced pivot-receiving openings near l'che top edge for pivotal suspension on said V-shaped wire supports.

5. A conveyor system of the reciprocating paddle type including trough means, swinging paddles, reciprocating means for driving the paddles, and hanger means supported by the reciprocating means to suspend the paddles `and wherein the said paddles extend laterally across about one-half of the width of the trough, one group of paddles being adapted to advance feed in one direction in said ltrough and the other group being adapted to advance feed in the opposite direction within the same trough.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the length of the stroke of the operating bar is greater than the distance between adjacent pusher paddles on said bar.

7. The apparatus of claim l wherein the said operating bar has a stroke of about 7 inches and the sai-d paddles are spaced a distance of about 6 inches.

8. A poultry feed distribution system comprising in combination feed trough means accessible to poultry, means for advancing feed yalong the bottom of. said trough means comprising a plurality of pusher paddles suspended transverse to the longitudinal axis of the trough means and in spaced relation to each other along a length of a trough in said trough means, an operating bar supported axially of said trough, paddle support hangers carried by said bar supporting said paddles with their bottom edges spaced from the bottom of the said trough, the said paddles extending laterally across about one-half of the width of the trough, `a first group of paddles being adapted to advance feed in one direction in saidtrough and a second group arranged oppositely with respect to the first group being adapted to 'advance feed in the opposite direction within the same trough, and means for reciprocating said operating bar in `an advancing stroke and in a return stroke, whereby said paddles assume a substantially vertical position during the advancing stroke of said rst group and the lower edges swing upwardly over the advanced feed on the return stroke.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 435,792 Bon Sept. 2, 1890 1,156,544 Nevill Oct. 12, 1915 1,299,661 Beam Apr. 8, 1919 2,043,595 Raymond lune 9, 1936 2,494,626 Nickerson Ian. 17, 1950 2,593,340 Petraske Apr. l5, 1952 

